Design and Construction of a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
Comprehensive design of a shell and tube heat exchanger for cooling p-xylene/ethanol mixture, including calculations, material selection, and compliance with TEMA standards.
Heat Exchanger Design for P-xylene/Ethanol Cooling
As part of my chemical engineering subject “Design and Construction of Equipment”, I designed a shell and tube heat exchanger to cool a mixture of p-xylene and ethanol using cooling water. This project demonstrated the application of heat transfer principles and equipment design in a real-world chemical engineering context.
Key aspects of my work included:
- Performing mass balance calculations around the distillation column to determine the flow rates for the heat exchanger.
- Selecting an appropriate heat exchanger configuration (AEL type with 3 shells in series) to maximize efficiency.
- Calculating heat transfer requirements and determining the necessary heat transfer area.
- Designing the exchanger components, including tube diameter, length, pitch, and layout.
- Determining shell diameter and baffle configurations.
- Calculating pressure drops for both shell and tube sides.
- Selecting appropriate materials for construction considering corrosion and heat transfer properties.
- Creating detailed equipment specification sheets and process flow diagrams.
- Addressing safety considerations and operational procedures for the heat exchanger.
Through this project, I gained valuable experience in:
- Applying heat transfer theory to practical equipment design, particularly for shell and tube heat exchangers
- Using iterative processes to optimize design parameters, such as tube diameter, length, and baffle spacing
- Considering multiple factors in equipment selection (e.g., efficiency, cost, maintenance, fouling potential)
- Interpreting and applying TEMA standards in heat exchanger design
- Calculating and analyzing fluid dynamics in heat exchanger systems, including pressure drops and flow regimes
- Addressing safety and operational concerns specific to p-xylene and ethanol handling
- Creating 3D models of heat exchanger components using Fusion 360
- Developing complex Excel spreadsheets with macros for heat exchanger calculations and optimization
This assignment deepened my understanding of heat exchanger design principles, especially for cooling applications in the chemical industry. It improved my ability to make engineering decisions based on multiple competing factors, such as heat transfer efficiency, pressure drop, and material selection. The project also enhanced my skills in technical documentation, equipment specification writing, and the use of engineering software tools for both calculations and 3D modeling.
Report
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